Remote control switch



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Dec. 30, 1958 J. O. ANDERSON REMOTE CONTROL SWITCH Filed Aug. 2, 1956 IN VEN TOR.

fines 0. 24 riders! ATTD RN EYS United tates Patent REMOTE CONTROL SWITCH James 0. Anderson, Bybee, Ky.

Application August 2, 1956, Serial No. 601,715

1 Claim. (Cl. 200-87) This invention relates to electric circuit control devices where it is desirable to turn a light or appliance ofi or on from a plurality of points, and in particular a switch of the rotary type adapted to be actuated by a solenoid actuated pull cord or chain wherein with the solenoid controlled by a circuit having a plurality of switches or buttons therein the buttons may be located at different points, such as at each door of a room or other enclosure or at different points in a laboratory to eliminate the necessity of an extra person for turning a light, instrument, or an appliance on and off or on farms where it is desired to turn lights on and 011 from the residence or control room.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for completing a circuit to a light, instrument, or appliance from a plurality of points without additional wiring.

In conventional circuits for this use it is necessary to use an additional wire for carrying a circuit to an instrument or device and in other instances two, three, and four way switches are used at doors and other points for completing the same circuit or for completing circuits to lights, instruments and appliances with the switches positioned at remote points. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a solenoid for actuating a switch in a circuit to a light or appliance in which a circuit having a plurality of switch buttons there-in extends to the solenoid so that the solenoid may be energized and operated to actuate the switch from a plurality of points.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for actuating a conventional light switch wherein a circuit may be completed to the actuating means from points remotely situated from the actuating elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for actuating a conventional switch for a light, instrument, or appliance in which the device is formed of an assembly of conventional parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for assembling a solenoid and conventional light switch whereby the solenoid is adapted to be energized from a plurality of points for operating the switch in which the device is of a simple and economical construction.

With these andother objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a switch housing having a mounting plate with a conventional switch secured to the mounting plate and having a chain extended through an opening therein, a ratchet wheel mounted in the case of the switch, a solenoid having an armature with a U-clip extended therefrom, and a plurality of button actuated switches connected by a circuit to the solenoid, the circuit being connected to a source of current supply.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional plan through the switch housing showing a light or signal extended from one side of the housing, a circuit for connecting the solenoid and 2,866,867 Patented Dec. 30, B

Figure 3 is a cross section through the housing taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with opposite ends of the housing broken away.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved solenoid actuated switch of this invention includes a conventional switch 10, such as a light switch with terminals 11 and 12 thereon and mounted by a stud 13 in a housing 14, a pull cord or chain 15 extended from an outlet 16 of the switch and connected in a fork 17 of a clip 18 on a core 19 of a solenoid 20, the solenoid being positioned in a housing 21 which, with the housing 14 is secured to a mounting plate 22, as shown in Fig. 2, and a light 23 connected in a circuit from the switch 10 and which is provided with a plurality of buttons or switches 24 adapted to be located at remote points.

The unit including the solenoid, switch, and housing therefor is installed in a conventional outlet box 25 having end walls 26 and 27 and a mounting plate 28 to which the switch housing 14 with the plate or partition 22 is secured, such as by welding or the like, and as also shown in Fig. 1, the mounting plate 28 is secured to the outlet box with screws 29 which are threaded in fianges 30 and 31 of the outlet box. The solenoid is provided with an inner end plate 32 and a flange 33 of a cup 34 into which the end of the core 19 extends is secured to the plate 32 by welding as shown at the point 35.

The armature or core '19 of the solenoid is slidably mounted in an opening through the solenoid and the armature is urged outwardly by a spring 36. A disc 37 is positioned at one end of the solenoid and, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the disc 37 is spaced from a similar disc 38 that is secured in the solenoid housing 21 with an annular flange 39.

The solenoid is provided with terminals 40 and 41 through which current is supplied to a coil of the electromagnet or solenoid and as the coil of the solenoid is energized the armature 19 draws the clip 18 away from the switch 10 thereby actuating the switch to open or close a circuit to the light 23.

The switch may be connected in a circuit, as illustrated in Fig. 1, with wires 57 and 55 connected to a conventional one hundred and ten-one hundred and twenty volt circuit, the wire 57 being connected by a wire 59 to one terminal of the light 23 and by a wire 60 to the terminal 41 of the solenoid; and the wire 58 being connected by a wire 61 to the button actuated switches 24 and to the terminal 40 of the solenoid with a wire 62 extended from the opposite or return terminals of the button actuated switches. The terminal of the light 23 opposite to the terminal to which the wire 59 is connected is connected by a wire 63 to a terminal 64 of the switch 10, the opposite terminal 65 of the switch housing being connected by a Wire 66 to the wire 61.

By this means closing of one of the buttons 24 completes a circuit from the wires 57 and 58 to the solenoid 20 and as the solenoid is energized the armature 19 is drawn into the coil whereby the switch 10 is actuated to disengage or engage the terminals of the device.

With the button actuated switches 24 located at different points throughout a room, building, or the like the circuit is closed by pressing one of the buttons so that a circuit to a light, instrument or farm implement, may be completed from any suitable point.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope'of'the appended claim, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

'In a remote control device, the combination which comprises afirst cup shaped housing having an open side, a mounting plate having a centrally located opening therein mounted over the open side of said first housing, a rotary switch having a stud thereon for mounting the switch in said first'housing, a second circular housing having an annular right angularly extending flange on one end thereof secured to said mounting plate for mounting said second housing on said mounting plate, a solenoid having an-armature and a'coil mountedin said second housing, afirst disc mounted in said second'housing in engagement with one side of said coil, 21 second disc mounted in said second housing in spaced parallel relation to said first disc, an annular inwardly directed flange on the opposite end of said second housing for retaining said second disc in said second housing, terminals for said solenoid mounted on said second disc, a cup mounted on the opposite side of said coil to house one end of said armature, a clip carried by said one end of said armature extending through said cup, a chain connected to the clip and to the switch for actuating the switch, and a casing in which the first and second housings are positioned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,531 Kitchen July 25, 1916 2,324,844 Hutt July 20, 1943 2,378,655 Popp June 19, 1945 2,627,562 Cataldo Feb. 3, 1953 

